In The Dead of The Night
by Pforte
Summary: There is always something up in the supernatural world. Being under attack, the vampires at Fangtasia are no happy campers and Sookie has more than one reason to be hesitant about being close to Eric. Spoilers for all books including FDtW.
1. Ready Steady Go

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to the _Southern Vampire Novels_. Sookie Stackhouse and the universe she kicks ass in were created by Charlaine Harris and consequently belong to her. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Note:** This story can be read as a sequel to **Home Is Where Your Heart Is.**

* * *

**In The Dead of The Night**

_Ready. Steady. Go._

Merlotte's was so crowded that I didn't notice Pam until she was standing right in front of me at the bar. Someone shouted and a roar of laughter erupted in a corner.

"Your order is coming right up," I called loudly, smiling like a maniac into the crowd. Pam didn't smile. In fact, she didn't do anything a human customer would do and, even though she didn't order anything, nobody rivaled her the place she occupied. She was wearing a pale blue costume, that looked very soft and very fifties, with a white silk blouse underneath. Her hair was neatly arranged in a bun at the back of her head. She looked like a primary school teacher. Nobody around her seemed eager to write lines.

Sam shot me an irritated look, which I decided to dodge. I quickly made my way to the table with the loudest customers – five members of the local high school football team, who had just lost the most anticipated game of the season. Fantastic. My face literally hurt from smiling.

"Not the best time for a chat," I told Pam as I carried empty glasses back to the bar.

She looked very much unmoved. "This isn't a social visit." Who'd have thought? At least I was pretty damn sure she didn't want to talk about Eric this time, which was definitely a plus.

"Can I get you something while you're waiting?" I asked her, only a teensy bit exasperated.

"TrueBlood O positive." The guy next to her brought a little more distance between them, although he was thinking what it would feel like to…ugh. Good thing Pam couldn't read minds. On the other hand, I would lead a very untroubled life if she could. I put a bottle and a wine glass in front of her and went off again. Arlene had a few survival instincts intact and refrained from throwing dark looks in Pam's direction. She threw them at me instead. I found that my patience with her was wearing thin.

At the end of my shift I was uncharacteristically exhausted. Merlotte's was usually well frequented but dealing with a bunch of frustrated and increasingly drunk football fans was no walk in the park. There were only a handful of regulars left when Pam cleared her throat.

"All right, all right," I muttered and went over to her. I sat down on the bar stool beside her.

"What do you want this time?" Pam appreciates bluntness. Her smile could have cut diamonds.

"Fangtasia has received a few anonymous threatening letters."

For a moment I was stunned. Who in their right mind threatened a vampire bar?

"No saliva, no fingerprints," Pam went on, her eyes gleaming. "They all demand the same thing: for us to shut down Fangtasia or else watch it being burnt down."

I resisted the urge to turn around and look for Arlene. Only one organization was fanatical and foolhardy enough to pass a threat like that and Arlene was a member of their church. Although I knew from experience that they didn't make it a habit to warn the vampires before torching the place they inhabited.

"Eric thought of the Fellowship, of course," Pam said, continuing my train of thought as if she had heard me, and I nearly winced.

"Um," I started eloquently, "you tightened security, right?"

Pam nodded grimly. "Naturally. But whoever is doing this, well, they are clever. There was a minor fire in the lady's room the night before yesterday and one of our day guards found a can of kerosene in a storage room today. A note to Eric was attached to it. Right now, we don't know how they got in, if they're staff or not, if they're human or vamp, if it's personal or business or whether they operate during the day or at night. Eric is livid."

I could imagine. Eric hated not being in control.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked her.

Pam smiled her most winning smile. "We would like you to spend the next few nights in the bar and listen in."

"If it's a vamp I won't hear a thing," I reminded her.

"True but it's worth a shot," Pam replied, shrugging. Wearily, I propped my elbow on the bar.

"You're forgetting something," I said after a short pause. Pam looked at me expectantly. "You're forgetting that I have a job. I can't spend my days working for Sam and my nights working for you. And I hate to burst your bubble but if it is indeed a vampire pulling the strings he will know about me, the way you paraded me around at the summit."

"None of the vampires who have sworn fealty to Eric would do this. They profit from his success and the prosperity of the bar. Most vampires who were in Sophie-Anne's entourage are dead by now, for good this time. That leaves Eric, Bill and me," Pam countered.

"Well, yeah, and a few vampires of the new regime," I said. I couldn't imagine Bill boycotting Eric in such a manner. And Pam would probably rather gnaw off a hand before she betrayed Eric. But Victor Madden knew about my disability and the new king was in the know as well.

"True," Pam admitted. But then she gave me a sly smile. "But nobody will be surprised to see you at Fangtasia, so we're requesting your help all the same."

Requesting, my ass. There was something about it that irked me considerably and that something had to do with the fact that, no, people wouldn't be surprised to see me with _him_. "Why didn't he come himself?"

Pam grinned. "I was wondering when you'd ask. Truth is, this was my idea. Eric knows that I'm here, of course, but he's so angry that he wants to do this the old-fashioned way." Uh-oh. The old-fashioned way implied more than the twisting of arms. "And the sheriff knows that your cooperation usually entails the physical inviolability of the humans in question."

Pam obviously enjoyed telling me all this since she was positively chatty today. Was it a sign of the apocalypse that the only person I could really talk to about my, er, whatever he was now, was a vampire whose brain was a negative presence on my telepathic vision? I so needed a social life. A social life that evolved around people with a pulse, that is. Unfortunately, a tiny part of me was dying to ask how Eric was but I told that part to kindly shut up. Only two weeks ago Eric and I had recreated the best shower in the history of showers and I now had two memories competing for the pole position. Eric's skilled hands (and other parts) had relaxed me a little too much and I had told him the three words that I knew would change our relationship decisively. We had a mind-blowing date and even better sex three nights later and that's when I kind of panicked and stopped returning his calls. No, I'm not proud of my reaction but I'm only human – unlike Eric. To be honest, I had expected him to turn up the very next night, blue eyes blazing with anger, demanding an explanation for my behavior. He hadn't come and now it was me who was feeling dejected. Eric was always good for a surprise, I admitted grudgingly to myself. But at least now I knew that he had probably stayed away because his headquarters was under attack and not because he had lost interest.

"I need to check with Sam," I told Pam gruffly and slid off the stool.

"Yes, do that." She smiled winningly in what I found to be Arlene's direction. Her fangs showed a little. Funny, that Pam.

* * *

Sam wasn't happy, no surprise there. But the good thing about my boss is that he's a shifter and familiar with the world of vamps, fairies and weres. He knew that I didn't have much of a choice and that I never exactly volunteer for these kind of jobs. Sam agreed to give me three days off. What Sam didn't know was that my relationship with Eric had taken a new though not wholly unexpected turn, but he wasn't happy about the blood tie thing as it was. Neither was I. There was enough of the supernatural in my life and I didn't particularly enjoy that my feelings for Eric weren't wholly my own. On the other hand, I could no longer deny that it had its advantages… I shivered as I recalled the sex. Then I reminded myself to focus. _Yeah, right._ Luckily, being a telepath had taught me early on to control my face and so I managed a grateful smile before I scampered off to my car.

Knowing that I had the next day off, I drove home in a good mood. Sure, I was tired but the thought of being able to sleep in did wonders. Yay. I parked the car, scanned the area and found myself relieved that no nighttime visitors were creeping around the house. The light in the kitchen was on and I was surprised to find my housemate awake. That is my younger housemate, Amelia.

"Hey, what are you still doing up?" I asked her. Amelia leaned against the fridge and held a glass of milk in both hands.

"I kind of miss Bob. I've been having trouble sleeping," she confessed in a small voice.

"Oh," I said. Too bad, huh?

"He always purred and pawed when I went to bed and something's missing now," she went on, looking a bit pouty.

"But deep down you're happy that he's back in his true form, right? Because turning people into cats and keeping them for convenience is wrong," I reminded her with a grin. She stuck out her tongue.

"Yeah, yeah."

"How about getting a proper cat?" I suggested.

"I thought of it but I wasn't sure if you'd be happy about it." She took a sip of milk and watched my face.

I snorted. "Really, Amelia. I didn't mind Bob and he probably took a peek whenever one of us was in the shower. I won't mind having a real cat. I used to have one myself."

"Oh yeah? What happened?"

"Um, she was murdered," I said uncomfortably. This was so not my favorite story to tell. Rene, that bastard.

"Oh, wow!" Amelia had a way of making it sound super without coming across as heartless or retarded. A gift, no doubt.

I shook myself a bit to clear my head and yawned. "I'm going to bed. I'll be working for Eric for the next few days, so don't worry if I'm not home at the usual time."

Amelia looked surprised. "Oh, what's up this time?"

"Secret vampire stuff. I'm not really in the know either." I had developed a simple rule in regard to my human friends. The less they knew of the intrigues of the supernatural world the safer they were and the longer they tended to live. I saw her shrug and turn back to her milk and her thoughts of Bob.

Tired as I was, I opted for a quick wash, dressed in an old cotton nightgown and crawled into bed. I had barely managed to let down my hair and put the ponytail holder on the night stand before I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I woke up shortly after nine, feeling rested and ready for the day. After having breakfast and doing the laundry, I prepared for my favorite pastime: sunbathing. With a happy sigh, I settled outside, determined to enjoy the sun and read a mystery novel I had been dying to read. Yes, one day this may be the death of me but everyone has a vice; sunbathing is mine. I drank some iced tea and enjoyed the quiet and warmth, feeling a little like a lizard on a rock. When I'd had enough, I went inside to take a shower and then headed out to do some grocery shopping.

In town, I saw my brother and his wife coming up the road in Jason's truck but I chose to ignore them. The day had been too good to have an awkward conversation with Jason. Our relationship was strained ever since he had forced me to smash Calvin Norris' hand with a brick in his stead. I stashed the grocery bags in my car and drove home without a second glance. All too soon it was time to get ready for my new part time job.

The first very difficult decision of the day was picking out something to wear. Considering our recent issues, I decided I should definitely not dress up for Eric but I couldn't show up in rags at Fangtasia, either. I had to blend in. Hell, who was I kidding? I would have to dye my hair and dress in black net lace to fit in, and nobody would be fooled by that since too many fang bangers and vampires knew me by sight. I mulled this over while I was going through my wardrobe.

The choice of underwear was comparatively easy. I opted for a pale pink bra and a slip I had bought only two weeks ago. It went real nice with my fresh tan. Jeans were a no-go tonight but all the classy outfits I had bought for the summit had burnt with the hotel and numerous vampires and humans. My eyes were drawn to the bargain purchase I had made last week. Not that this had been in the back of my mind all along. Tara had called me to let me know about this dress being on sale and I hadn't disappointed her and bought it on the spot. It was carmine red, had tiny sleeves that were draped just below the shoulders, and a spectacular cut that emphasized my rather ample curves in all the right ways. It fell softly down to my knees and the cloth felt like a second skin. I'm not going to lie, I felt real good wearing it. I did, however, not waste a lot of time on my hair. This wasn't a date after all, as I kept reminding myself. So I brushed it out so it fell down around my shoulders and, after one last look in the mirror, I grabbed my purse and headed for the door.

Ready. Steady. Go.

* * *

I arrived at Fangtasia an hour after nightfall but there was already a line. I had to give it to them, this was some serious dedication. If I had a choice, I would stay far away from vampire bars, especially this one. Since I knew what it meant to stand there, waiting to be allowed in, I headed straight for the door. Unsurprisingly, Pam was on door duty. As soon as she spotted me, she waved me through impatiently.

"I expected you earlier," she said without a hello.

I shrugged. "You didn't say." How about '_thanks for rearranging your life to help us out, Sookie'?_

"I assume it took a while to get into that dress," Pam said with a hint of smile. Her fangs were half-way extended – her way of paying me a backhanded compliment. _Okay._

""Next time I won't change out of my pajamas," I grumbled as she all but pushed me in.

The bar was crowded, no surprise there. If there was anything the vampires at Fangtasia knew how to do, it was marketing. I made my way through ridiculously over-dressed fang bangers and scared-looking tourists, trying to maneuver around the real deal. Most of the vampires in Area 5 know me or about me but this is no reason to get all chummy with them. Speaking of staying frosty, I usually don't mind the crowd at Fangtasia but this time was different. From the moment I set foot in the bar, I felt tense and I knew only too well that this wasn't me having sudden mood swings. The reason for my anxiety sat in the middle of the room and from the look on his face, he was not a happy camper. Oh goodie, what a lovely sentiment to bathe in for the rest of the night. I was prepared to be grumpy but, as soon as Eric spotted me, he gave me a winning smile and warmth flooded me from head to toe. Okay, someone was happy to see me. I couldn't help but smile back.

Smoothly, Eric unfolded himself out of the chair he had been lounging on. I held my breath as he rose to his full height. You can say whatever you want about Eric but he _is_ outrageously gorgeous. He bent down to kiss me hello. And what a nice and thorough hello it was! I was a little out of breath when we broke apart.

"What a pretty dress. You look bitable," he complimented me. I realized that I had once more fooled myself. Of course I had bought this dress with Eric in mind. He _loved_ red. And being in close proximity of his wide blue eyes and irresistible smile, I really wanted him to see the lingerie I wore underneath. Ugh, I could have kicked myself. Maybe I should join a self-help group for humans who are blood-tied to unnervingly striking Viking vampires.

"Please," Eric motioned to the other chair at the table. Uh-huh, brilliant. Sitting with Eric would definitely draw everyone's attention to my presence. How was I supposed to do my job?

"Isn't that a little in-your-face?" I asked.

"Only if you're being difficult about it," Eric replied, grinning. I tried very hard not to roll my eyes and sat down opposite him. Naturally, I felt safe and loved, despite the threats to the bar and the fact that no human should ever feel safe because of a vampire. Immediately, a waitress appeared and put my usual drink, a ginger ale, in front of me. Eric must have instructed them about my new status and my likings. I nodded my thanks and turned back to the source of quite a few sleepless hours.

"Eric, what --" I started but he gave me a look that shut me up immediately.

"I'm glad you found the time to come by," he said casually. _Okay, small talk it is._

"Sure, it's not as if I had anything else to do." Like working for my real boss.

Eric ignored the sarcasm. Eric is generally good at ignoring things he doesn't want to hear. Words like _no _for instance.

"You didn't return my call," he said out of the blue. I was tempted to blame Amelia because it wouldn't have been the first time she forgot to tell me about a call from Eric, but I figured that this was too cowardly to consider in earnest. After all, I _had _chickened out and I had been expecting, had been waiting for Eric to bring it up.

"I was busy," I said dismissively.

He gave me one of his skeptical looks. "Sookie, you do know that I feel when you're bullshitting me, right? Right now, you're feeling vaguely guilty about it, too." Eric leaned forward, his eyes so blue and earnest it unnerved me.

"Eric --"

"You're scared, my lover. Do you remember when we drove home from Jackson? I asked you if you walking away from your romantic attachments was a pattern you followed. I think I found the answer."

I must have gaped at him like a fish, temporarily stunned into silence. "Do we have to talk about this _here_ of all places?" My voice was a little too high-pitched for my taste but he had only himself to blame if I lost my composure.

"No," he said abruptly and got up. "Follow me." _Yes, master._ I was fuming as I trailed behind him. The only good thing was that I didn't have to squeeze my way through the crowd. Everyone stepped aside for Eric. Surprisingly, he held the door to his office open for me. My grandmother would have thrown me a very stern glance if she had seen me walk past him without so much as a nod of thanks. I heard the door close and turned around, ready to say some very unpleasant things to him. But before I could so much as open my mouth, his big hands cupped my face and his lips were on mine. Huh? I was tempted to just give in and kiss him back for all I was worth but his words had really irked me. I tore myself away.

"Eric, what is this?" I asked wearily.

"This is me kissing you, lover," he said in a very dark and very seductive voice. Damn vampires. His fingers trailed down my neck. I shook my head.

"No, you can't just…just throw stuff like that at me and then expect me to forget it."

He looked amused, which irked me even more. "Sookie, I needed a reason to get you into my office without making whoever is threatening Fangtasia suspicious. A lovers' spat seemed the easiest way to accomplish just that."

"You orchestrated this," I said, taken aback by his audacity. I shouldn't have been surprised though. This was Eric Northman I was speaking to, after all.

"I apologize," he said, looking mighty unapologetic. I took a deep breath and swallowed whatever was on the tip my tongue.

"Okay, why did you want to get me into your office? What is the secret vampire stuff not even your minions are supposed to hear?" I asked, trying for nonchalance. He cocked a blond eyebrow and leaned slightly away. I fought off the trace of disappointment successfully and I'm almost ashamed to say that this feeling was all mine. Talking about ambiguous feelings…

"Two things," Eric said through his halfway-extended fangs. "Firstly, I intend to brief you and show you the letters we received. It might help your search for the culprit's thought pattern. And second, I want to peel that dress off you, kiss every inch of your skin and fuck you on my desk," he finished, licking his lips. Heat surged through me at the smoldering look he gave me and I had to look away. Oh boy, was I in trouble.

_...to be continued_

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Reviews are very much appreciated!


	2. Distracted

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to the _Southern Vampire Novels_. Sookie Stackhouse and the universe she kicks ass in were created by Charlaine Harris and consequently belong to her. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Note:** The threatening letter looks more impressive in the appropriate font but ffnet doesn't allow me to get creative. Anyway, I rated this story M for a reason and I hope you'll enjoy Eric's proposal being followed through to a T.

* * *

_Distracted_

"Let's focus on the first part. That's why I'm here, after all," I said and swallowed down an ocean of lust.

Eric shrugged. "Work before pleasure. I'm fine with that." He flashed me another toothy grin and I shivered. _Yes, that's really helping._ He went over to his desk and unlocked one of the bottom drawers, pulling out a bundle of papers, which he handed me carelessly. "We already checked everything there was to check," he stated.

I took them and scrutinized them curiously. Surprisingly, they all looked different. Some were mere notes written on a computer, others looked like your typical threatening letter – cut-out letters of different sizes and fonts. One appeared to be typewritten. Some were proper letters and folded twice, a few others were hardly more than memos. What surprised me was that there were so many of them. I started counting.

"Nineteen," said Eric. I nodded. The letters all said about the same thing though:

**S_hu_T d_o_wn F_an_gtAsia lesT it bE bUr_n_t to thE groUnd**

**Y_O_u _we_Re waRned FANgs**

"_Fangs_ isn't a term the Fellowship would use. They'd go for something more colorful," I mused.

Eric nodded. "They're at the bottom of my list of suspects."

"So who else could it be? A disgruntled fang banger?"

He snorted. "I can't think of any of them foolish enough to do that. They know what we can do to them, what powers we have."

"Glamour," I said, looking through the letters again.

"Amongst other things," Eric said coldly. Okay, I wasn't going to ask about specifics.

"Eric, you gotta help me here. Who is at the top of your list?"

Eric walked around his desk and leaned against it, stretching his long legs in front of him. I got the feeling that whatever he was going to tell me wasn't something I wanted to get involved in.

"I don't have any proof but this smells like the handiwork of one of us. Maybe someone of the new regime coveting my area? It didn't go down too well that Felipe de Castro kept me as sheriff of Area Five."

"Jeesh, like a snake pit," I said before I could stop myself.

Eric smiled. "Not unlike human politics." He had a point but I didn't want to dabble in that, either.

"Why am I here then? I can't read vampires' minds."

Eric frowned. "I don't think that this is a one-man operation. If one of Felipe's court is going after me, they will know what is at stake. Fangtasia is the main source of my income. Fangtasia is where those who have sworn fealty to me gather. Whoever is doing this, they are organized and they are trying to make me lose sight of the big picture. These last attacks were meant to make us panic, to make us feel helpless. But this is the heart of my domain and attacking me here isn't without risks. Having a human do the dirty work would be easier than sneaking in. That's why I allowed Pam to go along with her plan and contact you."

I went over to him and mimicked his position against the desk, not wanting to look at him for what I was about to say now.

"If a human in this bar is involved I will find him but my rule about not harming humans is still in place. You've got your courts, we've got ours." I remembered the cases I had witnessed in Rhodes and, believe me, human courts were definitely preferable.

"Sookie, this time I can't make any promises. This isn't a trivial matter. If I cannot control my area, Felipe will learn about it and he won't be lenient a second time." The thought of Eric dying clenched my heart like a fist. I turned my head and looked up at him then. I felt his anger and frustration as if they were mine. Eric hated to fight an enemy he couldn't see and on top of that being an unmoving target. These threats were really getting to him. His mouth was a thin line and he looked even paler than usual. Strangely enough, I didn't have the usual reaction, which would be healthy, human fear in the eye of a pissed-off predator. Instead, I wanted to comfort him. Yes, I was _that _far gone.

"Let's put it this way," I said slowly, mentally kicking myself for what I was about to suggest. "This one time, I don't want to know. Don't even think of having the human staff watch whatever you come up with. I don't _want_ to look away, Eric, and I hate compromising my principles."

His face relaxed and he tilted his head. "Would you have said the same if we weren't blood-bound?"

Ugh, why couldn't he just let it go? "Are you complaining?" I asked, a teensy bit testy.

He gave me a very Eric grin. "Not at all, lover."

"Give me a break." I pushed myself to my feet and walked over to the couch.

"No, not while I have you here where you can't just rescind my invitation. Sookie, will you tell me why you're afraid of me?"

I sighed and sat down on the same couch I had been lying on after the Maenad had poisoned me. Of course, he had to bring that up again. Eric was nothing if not single-minded.

"Eric," I started and found that I was unable to continue. What exactly was my problem? That he was a vampire and over a thousand years old on top of that? That I knew close to nothing about the man he had been when he was alive? That he was the sheriff of Area Five and being around him was only a little dangerous at best, and life-threatening most of the time?

"We're more alike than you think, my lover. There is something about you that connected us even before I had your blood. I wouldn't recommend trusting my kind in general but have I ever let you down?" Well, putting it this way was just unfair! Things weren't that easy.

Agitated, I was on my feet again because it felt better to fight when I was eye to eye with him. And since he wasn't on his feet, I was able to do just that. "You used me more than once," I accused him right to his face.

"So did you," he quipped, unmoved. Well, yeah, but…

"Point taken. But I didn't exactly choose all this. I'm not the…the political animal who just barely survived a hostile takeover."

His face darkened and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Sookie, we both know that these are excuses. You cannot hide behind them forever."

My temper flared up. "All righty. If you know me so well, why are we having this conversation?"

"Because I don't like that you keep running away from me. You've said that you love me. You're mine now."

Caveman mentality? Check. Ugh, vampires. But you had to give it to him, he was nothing if not blunt. "Eric, I'm my own woman and I need some time to get used to _this_." I gestured to him and me. "This trust thing doesn't come easy, not after Bill." He looked at me for a long time through slits of blue. I was _so _close to squirming under his gaze but I stood my ground and barely blinked.

"Sometimes you puzzle me," he said softly, surprising me once again. "You don't date humans because you can read their minds but you don't trust me because you can't."

"Because you're not contradictory at all, Mr. I-hate-feelings," I retorted. "And, well, I'm willing to try." I could only think of one way to distract and effectively silence him before either of us said something we were going to regret. I crossed the distance between us and kissed him. Not a fair move, I know, but these soul-stripping conversations between Eric and me usually don't end well. They also make me uncomfortable. And, bizarre as this may be, I was not used to feeling uncomfortable around Eric. On my guard, yes, but not uneasy.

He hesitated for a split second and then he put his back into the kiss, placing his strong hands on my hips and pulling me closer. I may have sighed happily. What? I had missed him.

As promised, he set about undressing me and he took his sweet time doing it. Eric's hands were everywhere and lit my body up like a match. They slid under my dress, then moved over my thighs, they caressed my back while undoing the zipper. His lips were glued to mine and his tongue was doing this thing that never failed to turn my brain into a warm and hazy mess. He only pulled away to watch the dress glide slowly to the floor, revealing my new underwear.

Dressing up for Eric was always gratifying. He didn't disappoint this time, either, and eyed my pale pink lingerie appreciatively. He licked his lips. It was obvious what he was thinking. You can always tell with Eric, especially when he's in touching distance. I'm nothing if not helpful and gladly assisted him in getting out of his tight jeans. His shirt joined the pair of jeans on the floor seconds later but I was almost too distracted to notice.

Because Eric didn't wear anything underneath. Guh.

"I have wished to do this many times," Eric said, lifting me up and placing me on his desk. He was so tall that I still had to look up to kiss him. He palmed my breasts through the bra and sucked on a particularly sensitive spot on my neck. I let my hands explore the smooth skin on his back, enjoying the feel of his muscles moving underneath. His deft fingers had unfastened my bra and the air felt cool against the newly exposed skin. Instinctively, I leaned back, propping myself on one arm. Something fell off the desk with a dull thud but neither of us cared.

"No need to imagine anymore," I gasped as his lips closed around my left nipple. I felt him groan around it, as he pressed hard and ready into my thigh. Oh God. My right hand sneaked between us and I felt him tense as my fingers curled around his length. I had always been a quick learner and Eric wasn't exactly secretive about his preferences. I stroked him slowly and squeezed a little when I reached the head. He let go of my breast and bucked into my hand.

"Sookie," he growled and attacked my mouth with new vigor. I nearly lost my balance but I was past caring whether Eric had some sharp-edged office supplies on his desk I might slump into. His right hand slid down my chest, glided over my belly down to my hip and, after kneading and caressing my thigh on his journey south, finally reached my knee. He somehow managed to have me panting at this point. Eric broke the kiss and gave me a dirty grin that made me shiver, before crouching down in front of me and hitching my leg over his shoulder in the process. Also, my panties were gone. Now _that_ was impressive.

He kissed the sensitive skin just below my hipbones, grazing it lightly with his fangs. Soft lips and sharp teeth - the contradictions felt amazing. And then his tongue swept over my _oh_ and…_ooooh_.

It took me a few seconds to recover. When I had fought may way back to reality through a swamp of bliss, he looked at me with such hunger and lust that I nearly lost it again. Eric moves lithely for someone his height and build, and he was on top of me before I could say '_In me now, you big, handsome Viking.'_ I groped him eagerly and tried to get him as close as possible; I was so ready. When he kissed me, I could taste myself on his lips, and my eyes fluttered shut as he pressed into me.

"Look at me, Sookie," he said hoarsely and I complied. For a moment, we just stared at each other, our faces only a few inches apart. His eyes were so, so blue. My breathing was loud and labored compared to the silence that was coming from him. And then his hand was on my collarbone and pushed me back gently. I cried out as his teeth penetrated the skin of my left breast just above the nipple, right when he thrust back in and filled me with that wonderful thickness till I thought I would burst. I pulled my legs up and crossed them behind him, digging my heels into his world-class butt, as he moved in and out slowly but powerfully. His desire washed over me in waves and I was sure that he felt mine, too. Whenever we were this close now, there was this strange power building between us, connecting us, something that went beyond movement and friction. Eric sucked hard and I gasped at a particularly deep thrust. My body felt like liquid energy, even my toes were tingling.

"Eric, please," I panted. Good thing he knew me so well, since I couldn't manage a more coherent thought. He released my breast, the feeling both painful and erotic, and steadied himself on the desk with one hand. The other seized my right leg and lifted it a little higher, so that he could reach even deeper. It felt like he was part of me. The desk creaked in protest under his pounding thrusts but it could break down under me for all I cared. I rode a blinding wave of excitement that was threatening to crash around me any second. I came first, his name on my lips. He moved a few more times, slower and deliberately, and then convulsed inside me, groaning loudly.

My heavy breathing was the only sound that filled his office for quite a few minutes. I was so blissed out that it took me a long moment to notice the stapler poking into my back. Before I could say anything, there was a knock on the door. Three more impatient ones followed.

"What?" growled Eric and disentangled himself from me reluctantly. I wasn't too sorry that snuggling time was cut short, since a desk isn't the most comfortable place to begin with. After I had skidded down and came to stand on my rather wobbly legs, I found that I had ink on my palm and wrist. Just lovely. Eric's desk looked as if it had gone through an earthquake and was the sole and lucky survivor. Oops.

"It's me," Pam's voice sounded through the door. At least she had good timing.

Eric dressed quickly and I tried to do the same, though it took me a few seconds to find my bra. With a smile that would have put the Cheshire Cat to shame, he turned to me and helped me with the zipper of my dress. Eric spun me around and gave me a lingering peck on the cheek before getting back to business.

In two strides he crossed the room, yanked the door open and glowered down at Pam, whose innocent face told me that she knew exactly what had been going on only minutes ago. She walked past him without a glance but a twitch of her mouth gave her away as she took in the state of Eric's desk.

"While you were busy _briefing_ Sookie," she said with the most audible smirk in history, "we found something of interest."

"Explain, Pam," Eric demanded.

"Felicia nearly stumbled upon the blackmailer when she went into the storage room. She heard a noise and went to investigate. Felicia isn't bright but she's quick on her feet. Unfortunately, she didn't see anyone but she found this." Triumphantly, Pam presented something to Eric on her outstretched hand. I stepped closer and saw that it was a beer coaster. Eric bent down to sniff on it before scrutinizing it from every angle.

"No fingerprints?" I asked.

"Not even a fragment," Pam said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"But now we know that we're dealing with a human," Eric said darkly. And, I added silently, if Eric and I hadn't been, erm, distracted in his office, I might have heard something important and the evildoer could have been caught already. Not a good start. I had a hard time regretting our alone-time though.

"Pam, get Felicia in here right now. Sookie, I'll see you in a bit." Class dismissed. I opened my mouth but Pam caught my eye before I could tell him where that tone got him with me. She shook her head. I was more than a little miffed and walked out of the room without a second glance.

"So," Pam started, after she had closed the door to Eric's office. "Is the air between you clear again?"

"Never been clearer," I muttered, not in the mood for her teasing. Pam went to get Felicia and I headed straight for the lady's room to check my outfit. I shouldn't have worried, since Eric – in busy-busy mood or not – wouldn't have ordered me to leave if my breasts were hanging out of my dress. I looked a little flustered but fine otherwise. And since I ached in all the right ways and felt wonderfully relaxed, I didn't find it in me to stay grouchy. I felt a sore where Eric had bitten me but I knew that it was healing already. Eric always made sure to coat the puncture wounds with his coagulant saliva and he usually bit where nobody could see. That didn't change the fact that he drank my blood and that I sort of enjoyed it.

The door flew open and three fang bangers came in talking excitedly. Dutifully, I listened in more than one way. They were from out of town – San Antonio, Texas to be precise – and Fangtasia was their wildest dream come true. The tall blonde girl, who was so pale that you could see the veins through her skin, was using a fake ID. She'd paid two hundred dollars to make it look good enough to fool vampires. I blushed furiously at the thoughts of the curly redhead, since they involved shackles and lots of Eric. A rather mean part of me noted that her imagination couldn't live up to the real deal. And then there was the shy looking girl with dirty blonde hair, the third wheel. She had a heart-shaped face and beautiful green eyes. I was rather shocked when I discovered that her dearest wish was to die here in Shreveport, preferably at the fangs of a vampire. I shuddered at the emptiness inside her. The worst part about being telepathic is to know things no one is supposed to know. Thoughts are private and they're not deeds. Maybe 22-year-old Trisha from Austin planned on following through or maybe it was just her mind running amok. There wasn't a helluva lot I could do about it. At least she would have a hard time finding a vampire like that at Fangtasia. As far as I knew, Eric was a good and fair sheriff, but he didn't have a soft spot for anyone who endangered his business.

When I re-entered the main area I noticed right away that Felicia was absent. It would have been hard to miss since Clancy had to fill in for her and he wasn't pleased. Despite the metaphorical dark clouds looming over Fangtasia, the bar was even more stuffed than when I had arrived. No booths were free, just my luck. They played _After Dark_ when I settled on a stool at the bar.

"Sookie." Clancy greeted me with a nod. I ordered a gin tonic and pretty much gulped it down in one go. Sex with Eric had been draining, har de dar. It was nearly midnight by then and I spent the next two hours doing my job. Clancy ignored me for the most part but that was just as well. I wouldn't be paid for chatting. Unfortunately, it was business as usual for the customers and nearly all of them were thinking of sex, blood and sex. It's like frantically switching TV channels and all you get is bad porn. As the night wore on, Fangtasia became less crowded but the thoughts of the humans around me got more desperate. The tourists were all gone by now and only the usual clientele was left. Most of them were ready to do anything if it got them into a vampire's bed.

Eric's presence washing over me, warmth and irrational happiness and all, had never been more welcome. He walked over to me and I couldn't help noticing how good a simple shirt looked on him and how nice his blue jeans fit. Well, I knew for a fact that they weren't hindered by any underwear.

"A penny for your thoughts," said Eric, grinning, when he was close enough for me to hear him. Of course he would have caught my mood. He snuck an arm around my waist and led me over to his usual table in the middle of the bar. Nobody dared occupy _this_ table uninvited.

"Oh, cut it out," I said, smiling.

"I take it you haven't made any new friends while I was busy?" Eric said in the same tone but I heard the real question as clearly as if he had actually asked it.

"No, but I would if you didn't take up all my time," I replied.

"It is hard to stay away from you when you look as beautiful as this, my lover," Eric countered with only the hint of a leer. _Mental note: dress in something less revealing tomorrow night or the boss will jump you. _

"You look tired," Eric remarked after a while.

I shrugged. "I didn't sleep through the day."

"Then I'll take you to your car." He got up in one smooth movement and held out his hand. Okay, end of shift Eric style. Quite a few jealous eyes followed us as we made our way outside.

My car was parked around the corner and we were out of sight of the bar when I asked, "Will you tell me what Felicia said or is that classified information?"

Eric stared at me for a long moment. "I'm not used to explaining myself."

"Well, gosh. How inconvenient."

"I didn't send you out because you don't matter, I sent you out because you do. If you were nothing more than dinner, your presence wouldn't register, but Felicia has her pride like everyone else. I don't humiliate my staff in front of others if I can help it," he said evenly but I could feel that he was annoyed. I, on the other hand, was ashamed that I had jumped to conclusions. Of course, if Eric had a little heart-to-heart with Felicia, she wouldn't be thrilled if his mortal girlfriend, the local psychic, was present. Sam didn't tell us off in front of the customers, either, he called us into his office.

"I'm sorry, baby. I guess, I'm just tired and…" I didn't finish. One blond eyebrow raised, Eric looked down at me, amusement winning over annoyance. I went over my last sentence and realized that I had never used terms of endearment with the real and in-full-possession-of-his-memory Eric before. Um…

In line with his 'actions speak louder than words' policy, Eric bent down and kissed me long and thoroughly. The smell of his aftershave hardly registered because kissing Eric was becoming more and more of a habit.

"I'd like to see you at Fangtasia more often," Eric said smoothly when we broke apart. "Especially if no one is threatening to torch it."

"I work in a bar, Eric. I'm not keen on spending my free time in another one," I replied and turned to unlock my car. Before I had the chance to get in, he blocked the door with his huge hand. I looked up.

"I hope there are more incentives than free drinks." Oh my, he was _deliberately_ smoldering down at me.

"Possibly." I smiled, ducked under his arm and got into my car before I could give in to the urge to kiss him some more.

* * *

I hope you liked it. **Reviews** get Eric's special treatment!


	3. Well, crap

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to the _Southern Vampire Novels_. Sookie Stackhouse and the universe she kicks ass in were created by Charlaine Harris and consequently belong to her. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Note: **I'm sorry that the updates take so long but I can't help it. This fic already _is_ my priority and I've got chaptered stories that haven't been updated for nearly a year. Alas, real life keeps me very busy and I just don't have the time to write more often. Moreover, I don't want to update anything that I'm not satisfied with, so please bear with me.

* * *

_Well, crap._

I arrived home at around four and headed straight for my bedroom. The night had really worn me out. I undressed quickly but made sure to fold the dress carefully instead of stuffing it into the linen bin. It had been a complete success and I would connect _very _happy memories with it. In the bathroom mirror I saw that the little pointy wounds on my breast had neatly scabbed over. Even as tired as I was, I couldn't suppress a pleasant shiver at the memory of Eric, me and the desk. I threw on my nightie and, too lazy to turn on the lights in my room, I fumbled my way to the bed in darkness. The cool cotton sheets felt heavenly against my skin and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Things were different in the morning. I woke early and as soon as my brain started working I couldn't help but revisit the events of the night before. Doubts and suspicions scurried through my mind like rats in the garbage behind Merlotte's. Did the blackmailer know me? I wasn't worried for my safety, not with the local vampires and weres out to protect me. But it was possible that he had been lying in wait and acted on purpose right when Eric and I had been, um, preoccupied. This could just as well have to do solely with Eric, since he was a six foot four force to be reckoned with. But something else rankled me. Wouldn't Felicia have been able to catch up with the blackmailer or his henchman if he were human? Was she involved in this whole mess or had the evildoer planted false evidence? Or had I been reading too many _whodunits_ lately? There were too many questions to get a clear picture. On top of that, I couldn't be sure that Eric had told me everything there was to know. Vampires love their little secrets and intrigues. At least, they spent lots and lots of time immersed in them.

Since my mind was too busy to get back to sleep, I got out of bed. The clock said 9:15 a.m. I put on my fluffy bathrobe and headed for the kitchen. Amelia was in the living room, cleaning. One thing you have to know about Amelia – apart from the witch business – is that she is a neat freak. I always feel guilty about not keeping my room and the adjacent bathroom up to her standards. Not that I'm a pig but I can't keep up with the younger of the two witches who were my house mates. I wished her a good morning and she grinned at me from behind the couch, where she was chasing dust bunnies with a whisk broom.

As soon as she heard me rummaging in the kitchen, she stopped dusting and joined me.

"How is the new job?" she asked while we were setting the table for breakfast. Amelia is a very strong broadcaster, so I knew immediately that she was wondering whether I had seen Pam and whether she had been with someone else. Interesting. I really did want to mind my own business and not get involved in their…_whatever_ they had, but I was curious all the same. I had never seen Pam showing a real interest in a human before and Amelia was not exactly a little wallflower. She had told me that they were probably more friends than lovers but her reaction didn't fit that earlier assessment. (_Assessment_ had been my Word of the Day on Monday, by the way. Nifty.)

"I wasn't very successful but it was okay. Nobody tried to kill me and I got drinks for free," I said jokingly. After a pause I added, "They're real busy right now. Eric and Pam are on bar duty every night."

Amelia gave me a grateful little smile and filled my cup with hot and heavenly smelling coffee. It was nice having someone else in the house, especially someone with a heartbeat who knew about the supernatural world. We chatted a while over bacon and eggs and just enjoyed the morning together.

"Have you made a decision about a cat yet?" I asked after a while.

"Yes," Amelia said, excitement brightening her face. "I made a few phone calls and I'm going to buy a Siamese cat in a week."

"A _Siamese_ cat?"

"Yes, they're gorgeous and they've got a lot of character. I used to have one as a kid. Her name was Princess. My mom bought her for me. I called a breeder in the area and he told that he had this litter that would be old enough for sale in a week's time. I'm so excited."

Okay, this was probably not the moment to remind Amelia of the Northern Louisiana wildlife. Bon Temps wasn't New Orleans and the precious breed would probably not survive for long. I would ask Octavia to talk some sense into her, since she was some sort of mother figure for Amelia. Speaking of my other house mate, I realized then that I hadn't seen her in a while…

"Amelia, did something happen to Octavia? I haven't seen her in three days. Is she staying with friends of hers?"

"She's got a job. You know, one involving her talents_._ She told me that her customer insisted on his privacy and that she would be back in a few days. I can't believe I forgot to tell you." She blushed, clearly contrite.

"All right. As long as she feels useful and gets paid," I said. _And is safe_, I added in my head. But I was getting paranoid. Octavia knew how to protect herself. She was a powerful witch and a force to be reckoned with. Even shifters and vampires, who usually look down on witches, tend to avoid angering the powerful ones.

Something else came to my mind. When Eric had been bewitched and weres and vampires united to defeat Hallow and her brother, the local witches had offered their help. Amongst Hallow's troops there had been a few innocent witches who had been blackmailed and threatened into entering into her service. 'Our' witches had managed to make them glow, which set them apart from the real baddies. A talented witch like Amelia could probably do something similar to the blackmailer at Fangtasia.

I was about to open my mouth when I remembered that I should probably check back with Eric before letting Amelia on the situation since for all I knew he might have had a witch in on it already. And then there was the uncomfortable issue of getting Amelia involved at all. I remembered only too well what it was like to do Eric's bidding against my will.

"You okay, Sookie? You look a little off," Amelia said.

"Nah, I'm fine. I just remembered that I promised Tara I would go and see her this week." Yeah, a rather weak excuse but it was still early and I hadn't had much sleep.

* * *

I decided that my lame excuse didn't have to be a lie and that paying Tara a visit wasn't a bad idea after all. Okay, it was a bad idea for my purse but that was a risk I was willing to take. Tara's Togs was the reason for Tara's moderate prosperity. It had been a long road from being the abused child of two alcoholics to becoming a successful store owner but Tara had made it and I was proud of her. Our friendship had its highs and lows but I was glad to call Tara my friend. When I entered the store, she was sincerely happy to see me and we spent two hours chatting, catching up and, well, going through her assortment. However nice it was to see her and no matter how relaxed I felt, I couldn't tell Tara about Eric, since she broke with the supernatural world after Vampire Mickey had exploited, abused and nearly killed her. She was afraid of Eric and she had good reason to be. Last time they'd met, he had scared the living daylights out of her. I never found out how Salome had punished Mickey for his disobedience but I sure hoped it had been painful. Yes, I'm a vindictive person when it comes to avenging my friends and family. It's not a nice trait but I can't help it.

By now Tara was happily married to JB du Rone and, believe me, she deserved every ounce of happiness she got. We talked about her marriage, which was safe enough territory, and I wasn't too sad that I couldn't tell her about the man in my life. In the end, I bought a new set of lingerie (pale blue with a tiny bit of lace) and a pretty silken shawl.

On the way home I wondered if I could describe myself as happy. I couldn't find a definite answer. Eric's single-minded pursuit of an air-clearing talk had been successful, I had to give him that I was definitely feeling more comfortable with the thought of being in a relationship with the most powerful vampire in this corner of Louisiana. But nothing was ever going to be uncomplicated with him. I didn't feel the same sense of naïve trust I had put in Bill or the comfortable familiarity I had felt around Quinn. Eric was complicated and my life with him would never be anything but. I had always wanted normal but, as Gran used to say, there was no use in reaching for the stars since they were cold and distant anyway. Even the most ordinary people had extraordinary thoughts and I would _always_ know them. No lie, no hidden perversity, no petty cheat would ever go past me. There was no normal for me. I could just as well accept that my, um, _lover _was the sheriff of Area Five, over a thousand years old and a conniving piece of work, who also happened to be as handsome as they come and always ready to take a bullet for me. Yeah, some girls probably wish to have my problems with men.

When I arrived home, my mind was still busy, so I swept the porch and then cleaned my bathroom. Amelia's cleaning sprees are sort of contagious and they keep the mind distracted. By now I was on a roll, so I decided to get dinner for Amelia and me. After looking through the pantry, I managed to cobble together a tuna and corn casserole. I don't cook every day but I had a long night ahead of me, so a simple filling meal seemed like a good idea. Dusty and sweaty as I was, I took a shower while the casserole was in the oven. Amelia, who arrived just in time for dinner, surprised me with half a key lime pie, which turned out to be delicious. And just like that it was time for me to get ready for work.

While I laid out my clothes for the night, I had to admit that dressing up for Fangtasia was more fun than getting ready for work at Merlotte's. With a twinge of regret, I opted for a less exciting outfit. I picked a baby blue dress with a pattern of little white flowers. The cut was rather conservative. But hey, it emphasized my blue eyes and it was comfortable (especially after the ample dinner).

Conveniently, I could wear my newly purchased underwear underneath. What a lucky coincidence _that_ was. I pulled back my still damp hair in a ponytail, put on some blush on my cheeks and a bit of lip-gloss, then checked the results in the bathroom mirror. Casual but still sexy enough to tease, er, _please_ Eric.

I parked in the same place as the night before, which, in hindsight, was a big mistake. When I got out of the car, the sun had only just set. I would probably be let in by one of the human staff and I would be ready to rumble when the vampires arrived. _Ha, take that, Pam._

I locked my car and started in the direction of the bar, when I heard my name. Nobody had said it but someone sure as hell thought it. There is no mistaking _Sookie Stackhouse_ for anything else. I turned around, looking this way and that way, but it was dark and I'm only human. Fortunately, so was the person looking for me or I wouldn't have been able to hear his thoughts. Listening hard, I could only make out car engines in the distance and a few tourists two streets away. _Not_ good. Not good at all. I figured that my best bet was to get to Fangtasia as quickly as possible and hope that the vampires would be around sooner rather than later. I didn't run but I walked fast. Sadly, I wasn't fast enough to escape the ambush. There was a faint whistling sound and then I felt a stab of pain in my side. When I looked down I spotted some sort of tranquilizer dart, though I couldn't be sure, since it was dark and my vision was going blurry. Even though I managed to coordinate my fingers well enough to pull it out quickly, I knew that I was in deep trouble. My heart was beating like a drum and my palms went numb. I looked around frantically. Nothing. I tried to take a step forward when my legs gave in and I dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"Help," I gasped. I tried again but found that my throat was too constricted to scream or yell, not to mention make any audible sound even a vampire's enhanced hearing could pick up. I tried again. "Eric! Heeeelp! Eri…" That's when I blanked out.

* * *

When I came to my senses, my mouth was dry and tasted as if a cat had died there. _Yuck._ I nearly panicked when I realized that my eyes were already open but that I couldn't see a thing.

Wherever I was, that place lay in utter darkness. No windows, no nothing. And there was no air conditioning, either. I was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, the kind you only know when you live in Louisiana. I felt claustrophobic. Hyperventilating myself into unconsciousness wouldn't help me at all, so I tried to think positive thoughts. Whoever had captured me did apparently not know that Eric and I were blood-bonded. He would feel my fear and he would be able to find me through the bond. On the other hand – and unfortunately there was one – this could be a trap for him, which would make me the bait. I didn't like that idea very much. I had been used too many times by mortals and immortals alike and I hated the feeling of being a pawn in a game I couldn't understand. I rolled onto my side and found that I couldn't feel my hands because I had been lying on them. Great, just great. Slowly, the blood rushed back into them and I bit back a groan of pain, as my skin prickled and pulsed. Of course, my hands were tied and painfully so. Not surprisingly, my feet were also tied up. Silently, I called for Eric because, boy, was I angry. Having nothing else to do, I rolled back again and tried to get a sense of my environment by touch. Concrete, just lovely. This time I didn't call for Eric, I contented myself with cursing him.

And then I heard footsteps approaching. I let myself go limp and closed my eyes, trying to look as if I was still out of it. A heavy door was unlocked and I could see light through my closed eyelids.

"Are you sure about the dose? She's still unconscious," a woman's voice cut into the tense silence.

"I've done this many times. I am sure," a man replied. Cold, matter-of-fact and human. I reached out to his thoughts and immediately wished I hadn't.

I had once thought of Eric's mind as a pit of snakes but this guy made him look like a pouty teenager with anger issues. In this guy's head, I couldn't find a single thought that actually expressed a remotely pleasant feeling. All he thought about was doing what he was asked in the most effective way. He was a perfect yet twisted killing machine and I recoiled from the monstrosity of his mind. If his brain waves hadn't told me that he was human, I wouldn't have thought it possible.

"It is possible that she's faking," the man said. I couldn't figure out his name, which was weird. It hadn't been glamour because there was _something_ – I'd compare it to trying to read a word you can't decipher because someone spilt coffee on it and now it's blurry and stained. Wrong metaphor. It reminded me of how thirsty I was.

"I doubt it. You humans usually panic when captured and tied up. She's not professionally trained, she's only Northman's toy." The woman was obviously in charge and she had no brain waves to speak of. Vampire. I hadn't heard her voice before. She had a clean-cut English accent – the kind you usually hear in period dramas on TV.

"I did my research. From what I know others have underestimated her and paid the price," the guy with the mind like a school of piranhas replied.

"That's precisely why you're here. Check on her," the vampire ordered. Definitely not the chatty type. The man stepped closer and I did my best to keep my breathing even and my eyes relaxed. A split second before it happened I knew what he was going to do and braced myself. His boot rammed into my stomach and shoved me into the wall behind me. It hurt like seven hells but I bit my tongue and remained lifeless. For a moment I couldn't breathe, the pain was so overwhelming.

"Still out of it," the guy stated with no more care than he would give the weather report.

"Then you screwed up her dose," the vampire snarled. "I'll give you and her one hour. If she isn't awake by then, make her." The way she said it didn't sound promising at all. I suppressed a shiver of fear. _Please, Eric, get here fast_, I pleaded silently. The door closed and the room fell dark again. As good as he was, the guy couldn't fool me though. I still saw his brain pattern like some crazy beacon in the dark and remained immobile. A good five minutes later that felt like hours, I heard the door opening again, more steps, then silence. I reached out with my mind and didn't see a thing, not even a negative presence that would have announced a vampire. For the moment I was safe.

The thought of what these two charming creeps had in store for me when my hour was over, freaked me out more than a little bit. I tried to distract myself with logic. Why had I been kidnapped so close to Fangtasia instead of in front of my house? This had been an awful risk to take. Eric was old, which meant that he usually got up before his fellow vampires did. But maybe this had been a spur-of-the-moment thing and the human piranha had been acting without the vampire.

All of a sudden, I felt a surge of anger that was so intense that it took my breath away. Not mine, I realized with relief, _Eric's_. Doors were banging and I heard voices and orders being shouted.

"How did he find us so quickly?"

"The girl, moron. He had her blood."

I perked up. The voices were muffled by the door but I thought I recognized the vampire and her evil minion of doom. The door flew open and it took all my willpower not to shy away from whoever was approaching.

"Don't wake her _now_. He's_ here_, dammit."

"We could still kill her," the man from earlier said. I had been right. Granted, this discovery was less cheery in the face of impending death.

"No, we can't." The vampire's voice cut like a whip. "The king put her under his personal protection. We don't want him to side with Eric. Leave her!"

"All right," the man said grudgingly. I caught an image of the vampire in his mind. She was short and petite and wore her strawberry blond hair in a bob. The nameless guy fantasized about raping her during the day and I exited his mind with an inner shudder. More important was that I had definitely never seen the blonde vampire before. Who were these people and why were they after Eric? Trembling with relief, I heard them leaving. Time to start mission _Save My Ass_.

They had left the light on, woohoo. I blinked a few times to adjust my eyes and then checked on myself. My feet were duct-taped, which was definitely bad news, because I couldn't hope to strip it off like rope. After a few tugs I could tell that my hands had gotten the same treatment. I pulled my legs up slowly and managed to prop myself up against the wall. My stomach and side hurt like a bitch. Blondie's hatchet man had kicked me good and proper and I really hoped not to have another broken rib. The room was bare as many other storage rooms. There were a few boxes and a filthy sink but no shelves with helpful tools for women in need. I huffed. This time I might really have to wait for the cavalry.

That's when the door disappeared in a welter of torn metal and dust and Eric stormed in, fangs out and eyes wild. He looked royally pissed off and his clothes and hands were smeared with blood I was pretty confident wasn't his own. It took him a moment to focus and go from battle ready to rescue mode.

"Sookie!" He exclaimed, his relief not only audible in his voice but also surging through me. In a heartbeat he was kneeling beside me and ripping the duct tape off my hands and feet. "Are you unharmed?"

"Mostly. I may have a few bruises but you arrived before they started with whatever they been planning," I told him. He looked me over as if he didn't quite believe my words. When he had assured himself of my being in one piece, he grabbed my face and pulled me into a fierce, hard kiss. It's moments like these that you realize how damn good it is to have someone to lean on, even if your mouth tastes like dead cat.

"Sookie," he said again but softly this time. His eyes were so blue. "Tell me. Who are they?"

I told him everything I knew and then some. "I'm not sure if the blonde vamp is the boss or if she's only a henchman as well but she seemed to know an awful lot about Felipe del Castro's doings for some random vampire," I finished.

Eric nodded. "I will have to think about that. Come, it's time to leave. I killed five humans who were guarding this place." Pale as he was, he hadn't drained any of them though.

"Do you know her?" I asked him as we walked out.

"I cannot be sure. Your description reminds me of someone," he said. "I'll have Bill searching that database of his." We left as quickly as possible and I looked away when we passed the bodies. Let's just say that Eric knows the meaning of _going berserk_ intimately.

"Where are we anyway?" My legs were a little wobbly, I felt sick and my side hurt but I was pretty sure that no ribs were broken. Granted, the night was still young, but all in all the barmaid had escaped the evil vampire bitch in good shape.

"We're --" Eric stopped dead and tensed. His eyes got a faraway look but then he blinked and they were filled with murderous rage. "Something's wrong at Fangtasia. Something's wrong with _Pam_."

Well, _crap_. Not _Pam._ Before I could say another word he pulled me close and up we went into the night.

..._to be continued_

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_I know, what an evil cliffhanger. I hope you liked this chapter anyway. Please take a minute and **review**!


	4. Right Of course

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to the _Southern Vampire Novels_. Sookie Stackhouse and the universe she kicks ass in were created by Charlaine Harris and consequently belong to her. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Note: **Sorry for the long wait and for not being able to reply to all reviews. I had to ace a very important exam. ;) No really, I appreciate every single comment and that this story is so well-received. I hope you like the new chapter.

_

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Right. Of course._

We saw the flames long before Eric landed in front of the bar. Well, he had probably spotted them long before I saw anything. He had been tense all the way and that really scared me. As strong as they were, I had saved all of my favorite vampires' butts and a few I didn't care about, too. Most of the time they took to danger like a duck to water though. Seeing Eric so obviously worried wasn't something I wanted to get used to. The landing itself was smooth but I was immediately shrouded in smoke and only moments later I started coughing. I could feel the heat coming off the smoldering building in waves.

Eric, who didn't have to breathe, threw me a short look, and said, "Get away from here, Sookie. Stay close to the humans."

I nodded. My eyes were burning and I blinked rapidly to keep them from watering. When I got another clear look, Eric was gone. I can't describe how I felt then. I had only just escaped death by flames with the help of my fairy godmother (or whatever you wanted to call her). Even more recently, I had flown out of an exploding hotel, in which numerous humans and vampires had died. The memory of what Bill looked like when I found him later still made me shudder. Fire did definitely not evoke happy memories. I stumbled closer to the fire engines, coughing all the way. Vampires aren't fireproof, so I was more than a little worried about Pam and Eric when I heard a loud crack behind me.

"Come over here! Yes, that's right," a fireman shouted, waving me over. He was thinking about his wife and how he had just found about her infidelity. Sometimes I really wish I could pretend that professionals were actually, well, professional. They say that ignorance is bliss, and I can tell you, it's definitely true.

"How bad is it?" I asked him between coughs.

"Come on, honey, we need to get your lungs checked," he said, ignoring my protests and guiding me over to an ambulance. I spotted two familiar fangbangers and Clancy, the right side of his face covered in soot.

"Clancy, what in God's name happened?" I asked him.

"What do you _think_ happened?" he spat out venomously. Okay, that took me aback. Clancy had never been one of my favorite vampires and the dislike was mutual but he usually kept it civil. "The fire alarm went off shortly after we opened. Right after Eric _disappeared_. Pam insisted on collecting important papers from Eric's office. I went with her the first time but then I stayed the hell away."

"Where are the others?"

He looked at me, not willing to understand or really that self-absorbed. I cursed under my breath as one of the helpers led me away.

"I'm fine," I protested. "I wasn't in the building."

"Yes, dear," the man said. He was easy to read. His name was Marvin, he was an intern at the Dubuis Hospital and thought he knew better.

"No, really," I said, sharper this time. "I wasn't in the club. But friends of mine are still inside, so please let me go."

He gave me a long look, then pulled out his stethoscope and checked my breathing. "All right, you can go."

"Thank you," I said and turned back. Clancy was being interrogated by a police officer and looked nothing short of ready to rip his throat out. I would have intervened if I hadn't been so worried about Pam and Eric. I snaked my way back through the crowd of onlookers to the newly erected barrier.

The firemen were clearly making progress. It didn't look nearly as bad now that they had caused the fire to retreat. My eyes were glued to the remaining flames that I could see through the open entrance door. Eric must have found her by now. I didn't think that God minded, so I prayed for Pam. She was as close to a friend as a vampire could be and the thought of her burning...No. I shook myself and blinked to keep my vision clear. That's why I nearly missed the blur in the corner of my eyes. Without hesitation, I followed it quickly. I was just in time to see Eric's Corvette turning around the corner on jarring wheels. Out of breath as I was, my mind was spinning.

Eric wouldn't have left without me if Pam wasn't hurt pretty bad. Hurt too bad to control herself around a Happy Meal like me. I was just making up my mind to go back to Fangtasia when my cell rang. It was a miracle that my kidnappers had not ransacked my purse and I was real happy that they hadn't. I pulled out the red cell phone Eric had given me after he had smashed mine during the takeover and answered it quickly.

"Yes, how is she?"

"She'll live," Eric said in a strained voice. I breathed a sigh of relief. "Listen, try not to get in any more trouble tonight. It would be best if you drove home straight away, my lover."

"Okay," I said, not agreeing at all. I had read enough mystery and detective novels to know that there was a slim chance that the fire starter was still at the site. And I knew the brain pattern of one of his or her cronies now.

"Sookie," Eric warned me. Of course he was feeling my reluctance.

"I'll be careful," I promised and hung up. Indeed I had to be because my tall blond Viking was otherwise occupied. I really hoped that Pam wasn't in too much pain. Seemingly without purpose I meandered through the crowd of helpers and spectators, opening my mind to see what I could find out.

It rankled me that I had been the bait to lure Eric away from Fangtasia. Pam was a competent second-in-command and more than capable to hold her own but she lacked Eric's knack or lust for leadership. When you're around Eric, you have no doubts about who is in charge. It wasn't clear whether they would have attacked tonight in any case but the mere thought that Eric could have prevented this if he hadn't been on a rescue mission, ticked me off. The fire-fighters put out the last seats of fire while I was listening to the swirling chaos of thoughts around me. Most people were relieved that they had escaped alive, some were gleeful that it had hit the local vampire bar. One guy was hoping to get a look on a burning vampire and a female fangbanger hoped to die for the cause, so to speak, and donate her blood for the restoration of a hurt vamp. _Yuck_. Sometimes I have no words.

I was about to give up when I felt something out of the ordinary – which is really saying something coming from a telepath who deals with vampires, demons, fairies and werewolves on a regular basis. There was someone in the crowd whose thoughts I could only guess. I felt a presence but it was like a shadow behind frosted glass. I had never come across anything like it but I somehow knew that it wasn't a natural barrier like the muddle of feelings and thoughts I usually got from weres and shifters. Getting closer proved to be a problem because it seemed to be impossible to track the presence down. And then, just like that, it was gone.

By now, it was getting easier to move through the crowd because most spectators got bored after the fire had been put out and went home. The police were interrogating Clancy, Felicia and a few fangbangers. Until now, I had escaped their notice because I simply wasn't dressed like someone who frequented vampire bars. It was only a question of time till one of Eric's groupies pointed me out though, so I decided to get out of there as fast as I could.

I had just gotten into my car when my cell rang again.

"I see you're finally following my advice. Drive safe, my lover," Eric said.

"You're here?" I asked, confused, and looked around.

"Yes, I'm at the bar. Fangtasia is my responsibility."

"How's Pam?"

"She will be recovered in two or three nights," Eric said as evenly as if he was talking about the weather. If I hadn't seen how upset he was when he felt that Pam was in danger, I would have been tempted to call him something unpleasant.

"What is the plan for tomorrow night then?" I asked instead.

"You will go over to Bill's and search his database for the vampire you saw. Finding her is a priority."

"And you?"

"I'll have to talk to the insurance company and then organise the reconstruction of Fangtasia. I will not give them the satisfaction of being out of business for long," he replied darkly.

It seemed mundane that vampires had to deal with insurance companies like everyone else. Our worlds seemed to clash all too often. I wondered whether Eric still thought that mainstreaming was profitable. If he hadn't been so dependent on Fangtasia, he would probably have found and killed the blackmailer by now. I remembered the strange presence just in time.

"Eric, listen. I felt something weird just now. Someone's brain was protected...but not naturally. It wasn't a supe, I'm sure of that. Is it possible that they've got a witch working for them?"

Eric didn't answer right away. I was beginning to worry that we'd been disconnected when he finally replied. "Sookie, you're indispensable."

Good thing he couldn't see me blush. "Uh-huh," I mumbled.

"Would you ask your house mates for help?" he asked softly.

"Only if you promise not to threaten them into doing anything they don't want to do," I demanded.

"Of course." I could _hear_ his smile.

"All righty then," I said, feeling silly for sitting in a dark car and talking to Eric, who was probably close by, on the phone.

"When this is over, we should take some time off, you and I."

Well, this had come out of the blue. I said, "Maybe. Night, Eric." And hung up. I was feeling a strong wave of affection that left me dizzy. Not mine. I started the engine.

You can't say that hanging out with vampires is boring.

* * *

I was home late, had a fitful night and slept very little. And I definitely looked it in the morning. After a hot shower I felt like a human being again. I knew that worrying about Pam was pretty pointless, since all she needed to recover was blood and sleep. Besides, she was dead already. However, the sight of Bill's face burnt away to the bone was something I wouldn't forget, _ever_. And he had clearly been in pain. So apart from being worried, I was also furious at whoever was playing this little vindictive game. It was this anger that helped me overcome my guilt about involving Amelia at last. I brought it up at lunch.

"Amelia, what do you know about protective spells?" I asked her over lasagne.

"Oh, it's not my speciality but quite a bit. Why? Don't you think the spells on the house are enough? Octavia is really good at this kind of stuff," she said.

"No, it isn't about the house," I said and told her about the threat to Fangtasia. "To be honest, I don't know if it's a protective spell. More like a shield, you know?"

"A shielding spell?" Amelia looked pensive. "I'll have to do some research. Shouldn't be a problem, Sookie."

"Great, thanks." I beamed at her. It's good to have friends.

The rest of the day flew by. I called Sam to ask how things were going at Merlotte's. It was nice talking to him. I don't know what it is about Sam but, in the middle of the craziness that is my life, he is like a solid rock. Sometimes he's infuriating as hell but mostly he is someone I can rely on. Apparently, things were _peachy_. Of course, he had already heard about the fire. I could hear that he disapproved of me endangering my life and working for the vamps again.

"Look, Sam. I wasn't even there when it happened," I snapped after he had interrogated me for five minutes.

"But you could have been. I don't understand why you don't just stay away from them," Sam said testily.

"Yeah, we both know it's _that_ easy." That might have been unnecessarily sarcastic.

"Dating a vampire doesn't really scream _unwilling_," he snapped. For a few seconds I was too taken aback to answer. How did he know? But Sam interpreted my silence differently. "All right, it's unfair to lay that at your door after all this time. You didn't know what you were getting into with Bill, I know that."

"No, I didn't," I said, feeling a bit deflated. "Look, Sam. I'm as careful as possible but I can't stay away from all of this."

"You mean, you _won't_."

"See you tomorrow, Sam," I said and hung up, thinking that sometimes secrets are a bitch.

* * *

Right after sundown, there was a knock on my door. I didn't have to guess who it was. When I opened the door, there stood Bill, my first undead boyfriend. Vampires can be almost anything they want to be and Bill had become a computer nerd. He had developed a vampire data base, which came in handy every now and then (provided you're not his human girlfriend and expected to save his assets and his ass). Oh, well. I was still human but no longer his girlfriend.

"Sookie," he said in his smooth, cold voice. It never failed to give me shivers.

"Why, it's so good to see you, Bill," I replied in a cheery, welcoming way my grandmother would have been proud of. Bill and I had issues but most of the time we were pretending that this wasn't so.

"Eric called me," he said curtly. "Will you come over to my house now?" He didn't smile. _Uh-oh_. Obviously he knew about Eric and me. Because Eric would have made sure of that.

"Give me a second," I said and went to get a sweater. Why he hadn't brought his equipment to my house was beyond me but I had the suspicion that it had something to do with territory. Vampires.

The way over to Bill's house felt longer than it was and the air was pregnant with silent reproach. Defiantly, I pushed my chin forward. On more than one occasion, Bill had basically shunted me into Eric's arms for either safekeeping or less noble reasons. On top of that, he had a girlfriend he made sure to push in my face as often as possible, and he had cheated on me while I had been his girlfriend. So there was no reason at all to feel guilty or uncomfortable, right?

"I can offer you iced tea and Diet Coke," he said when we arrived at his house. He didn't say that this was because Selah drank Diet Coke but sometimes you don't have to spell things out.

"Iced tea, thanks," I said, smiling widely. Bill was back quickly with a glass for me and a bottle of True Blood for himself.

"I heard you were kidnapped." He was trying to hit a conversational tone but failed by a mile.

I heaved an exasperated sigh. "Bill, believe it or not, I had this conversation with Sam already. I'm fine. I'm not actually throwing myself in the path of terrorist vampires, you know." I looked at him looking at the computer and felt angry. "And, well, Eric rescued me pretty quick."

His face was devoid of emotions but I knew that I had hit a nerve. He turned to look at me slowly.

"All right. I'm jealous."

"No! You _don't_ say!" I exclaimed. Yes, I was going a bit heavy on the sarcasm lately.

"Sookie, you know how I feel about you," he went on, unperturbed.

"Uh-huh. You showed me lots of times when we were together."

"It wasn't all bad," he said fiercely.

I leaned back and took a sip from my iced tea. "No," I answered. "It wasn't all bad. But I told you before that we can't get back to what we had before. At least I can't. And you've got Selah now."

He gave me one of his dark looks. "Yes, I've got Selah now. And you Eric."

"It's not as if you kept me away from him all along, Bill."

"I know," he said softly. "I'll repeat what I told you that night at Fangtasia. As far as vampires go, he's a good guy. And you were drawn to each other from the beginning...it's not surprising. That doesn't make it easier though."

I swallowed hard. He had a way of making things not so easy himself. Yet it felt good to know that the jealousy thing worked both ways. So I said, "Good." And I smiled.

He smiled back and we went to work. I knew things would be tense for quite a while, if not forever, but for now we were good. Kind of.

Going through Bill's impressive database should probably have been really boring but it was kind of fascinating to look at all those faces, some of them ancient despite their youthful appearance, some of them no older than myself. We must have spent a few hours searching his database before I recognized her. I was sure the moment I saw her, even though I had only seen an image in my human kidnapper's mind.

"That's her!" I all but yelled.

"Meredith. Approximately 220 years old. Sometimes uses the last name Benedict," Bill read out loud.

"I am sure that this is her but I don't see the connection to either Eric or the king," I pondered aloud.

"Let's see who sired her," said Bill, fingers flying over the keyboard.

"A William Campbell, 300 years old, Scottish. Came to America in the middle of the 19th century. Oh _snap_!" I exclaimed when another name popped up. William Campbell had apparently pledged himself to someone after his sire died in 1893.

"Eric will not be pleased," Bill agreed.

"He'll be _pissed off_."

"And why is that?" Eric asked from behind us. I nearly had a heart attack then and there.

"Don't _ever_ do that again," I chided him, my heart hammering like a drum. He smiled almost apologetically and bent to kiss me lightly on the lips. So close to him, I felt what he felt, and his lips lingered on mine as much for his sake as for Bill's. Territory again.

Abruptly, Bill got up and offered his chair to Eric. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to throttle him or, even better, snap off a chair leg and stake Eric with it. Eric, however, ignored Bill's glowering face, and sat down on the chair like it was his birthright. Maybe he thought it was.

"So, why am I going to be _pissed off_?" he asked and turned to the screen. "Explain, Bill."

"Have a look at the name of the vampire Campbell pledged himself to," Bill said in a voice completely devoid of emotions. He pointed at the bottom of the screen. Where Eric was fiery and passionate, Bill was cold and hard as ice. This doesn't mean that Eric can't stare you down and give you the shivers by just _being_ displeased.

"Hot Rain." Eric's voice was barely audible.

"I thought you had dealt with him," Bill said - unwisely, I thought. Eric's rage surged too quickly for me to see it coming. He had Bill up against the wall before I could say 'scary vampire'. Eric didn't use physical force on Bill so much as fix him with a piercing stare that seemed to keep him in place. He stood towering over him like a big bad threatening Viking.

"I had a few taxing nights and I don't remember seeing you at Fangtasia trying to be helpful. I don't always demand your services but I do pay attention. Consider yourself warned. I _will_ have order in my area," he snarled.

And just as quickly as he had pressed him against the wall, Eric stepped back and took his seat again. His face was very white and his eyes were blazing. Bill looked paler than usual, too. Oh boy, this was something I _so_ hadn't wanted to witness. It didn't seem like a smart thing to do, either, since Bill would remember being chastised and humiliated in front of me. I _felt_ the tension. If there had been any more testosterone in the room, there would have been sparks.

Unclenching my hands from the sides of the chair, I got up slowly and beamed at them."Well, it was good to see you, Bill. Thanks for the iced tea. Eric, now that you've got your information, I guess I can go and get some sleep. I'll show myself out."

An eerie silence followed me to the door. You could officially call the Compton house haunted by angry spirits that night.

Outside, I exhaled. Wow, that had been _awkward_.

The familiar nocturnal noises around me were like balm for my troubled thoughts. It had cooled down considerably and I found myself enjoying the walk back. Walking was easy. Vampires were not. I was halfway across the cemetery when I felt Eric's presence.

"I shouldn't have come," he said when he caught up with me.

"No, not your best idea," I agreed without looking at him.

"You're angry with me."

I sighed. "You lost your temper and, this shouldn't be news to you, but you can be freaking scary when you're mad."

I peeked at him and he didn't seem too contrite. Okay, I hadn't really expected an apology, since he hadn't meant to scare the heebie-jeebies out of _me_. "You're conflicted about Bill," he said after a moment.

"I am," I admitted. What was the point in denying the obvious? "He was my first boyfriend, the first man I let into my bed and the first who broke my heart. I no longer hate him but you know I can't quite forgive him either. And seeing him will probably always make me uncomfortable."

"But do you feel guilty for being with me?" he asked, straight-forward as usual.

I stopped and looked up at him. "No, Eric. But I don't like being used as payback. I was his and now I'm yours. I know that it's a vampire thing but I don't like it."

He pulled me close and I settled against him. It felt good to be held.

"Eric?" I asked against his chest.

"Hmm?"

"Why are you here? I thought you'd be busy."

"I was. My human staff was doing an inventory all day, so I was briefed very thoroughly when I woke up. Fortunately, it is not as bad as it looked. If there are no more disturbances, we will be able to reopen in two weeks. I settled things with agents from the insurance company and talked to the police before I flew here. What you found out tonight is important, Sookie. I need to know who my enemy is. I also hoped that I could have a word with your house mates. If a witch is protecting Campbell and his henchmen, I need to know how to break the spell." _So that he could break them_, I figured.

"Sure, Amelia should be home by now," I said and stepped out of the embrace. "How is Pam?"

"Better. Thanks to her, all of my important documents and my hard drive were saved." Eric looked tired and he was tense as a bowstring. I understood now why he had lashed out at Bill. His hold on Area Five was no longer indisputable.

"That's good," I said inanely.

His gaze was intense when it focussed on me. He licked his lips. I knew that look only too well. Right now, he was wondering if I found it at all acceptable to be fucked in a graveyard. My skin felt hot under his eyes. Worryingly, I wasn't exactly opposed to the idea. In fact, I imagined what he would feel like under me, so close to the earth. After all, it wasn't raining.

_...to be continued_

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Thanks for reading. _**Reviews**_ help Eric's ego.  
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	5. Dire straights

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to the _Southern Vampire Novels_. Sookie Stackhouse and the universe she kicks ass in were created by Charlaine Harris and consequently belong to her. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Note:** I'm awfully sorry that this chapter took so long. Writing the sex scene was a pain in the arse. Metaphorically speaking. ;) I really appreciate each and every one of your reviews and comments. They always cheer me up. So lots of hugs and kisses to everyone who left me a few words. Now on to the chapter!

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_chapter five: dire straits_

One thing you should know about dating a vampire is that you're going to push what you previously considered your sexual limits aka ick factors pretty damn far. Blood play is pretty much a given (well, duh) and they can talk you into basically everything else because they're just so damn good at it. So it should not come as a surprise that this wasn't the first time I had had sex in a cemetery. And considering the sometimes Draculaesque sleeping habits of my undead boyfriend, I doubted that this would be the last. Eric definitely knew how to kiss a woman into willing and oh so eager submission. His lips were cool and soft but they evoked entirely different feelings in me. I reached up and crossed my arms behind his neck, pulling myself up and into the kiss. He had to lean down to kiss me properly and I stood on tiptoes.

I hadn't planned on being seduced by my blond Viking tonight, in fact, I had expected to spend the night in rather awkward company, so I wasn't wearing anything sexy. (Though nothing floppy, either. Sometimes I am rather vindictive and showing Bill what he missed was a petty little pleasure I would undoubtedly pay for in my afterlife.) So when Eric slid his big, skilled hands under my clothes, he pushed up a tight-fitting but washed-out blue shirt that barely reached my navel. I shivered but not from the cold as his cool fingers caressed my belly, my sides and then slowly moved up to my breasts. He only brushed them teasingly before breaking the kiss and divesting me of my shirt and bra. I moved my hips against him and Eric groaned and set about removing my cut-off jeans. As soon as he was finished, he grabbed my behind and pulled me up. I crossed my legs behind him, feeling him hard and hot against my pelvis. I shuddered, even though two layers of fabric still separated us. Luxuriously, I ran my hands through his thick, rippling hair and let one wander down to feel the muscles working under the smooth skin on his back. Rawr. We must have looked like the cover of a harlequin novel. I couldn't quite suppress the giggles at the thought and told him. Eric threw his head back and laughed.

"Oh, Sookie," he said, grinning. "Want to know what's on the next page?" Eric quirked an eyebrow.

"These kinds of novels aren't exactly known for plot twists," I replied – gasping because he was back to sucking my neck and letting his hands wander all over me. There is something to be said about slow lovemaking but right there, in the graveyard next to my house, I felt the urge to do the exact opposite. I disentangled myself from him and pushed my panties down my legs. His eyes followed me hungrily but let it be said that Eric is quite good at multitasking – he got rid of his own clothes in no time.

Naked, Eric was breathtakingly beautiful. His long hair shone silver in the moonlight and he had long, well-muscled legs that were dusted with blond hair, a broad chest and perfectly toned arms. Eric in blue jeans and t-shirt could stop women on the street. Naked Eric in all his glory would probably cause car crashes. While I was ogling him, he draped his shirt on a flat, grass-covered spot next to a medium-sized tombstone. That's when I decided that I had enough of just looking, flung myself at him and pushed him on his back. With a pleased smile, he let me have my wicked way with him and I enjoyed running my hands all over his glorious body. His fangs were fully out as he watched me shift down, kissing and teasing him and eventually taking him into my mouth. He let out a deep moan and, after a flick of my tongue, I slowly sucked him in as deep as I could. (Say about my first boyfriend what you will but he was a _very_ skilled teacher.) The sounds he made seemed to reverberate through my entire body and strike a chord in my lower regions. Ever since we were blood-bonded I felt his ecstasy just as strongly as mine. I was more than ready for him in mere moments and I didn't protest when he pulled me up.

"My lover," he said gravelly, sending shivers down my spine. His hand travelled up my right leg and behind. I gasped when he found what he was looking for. My thighs were trembling as he pushed one long finger slowly into me. He really had _deliciously_ long fingers! I arched my back and he moved his hand in a torturously slow rhythm.

"Eric, stop teasing," I gasped, and, "Please." I leaned down and bit his left nipple, hard, knowing full well the effect it had on him. He tensed, making a strangled noise, and complied. I felt his long, thick shaft against me, rubbing me in a very distracting way, and pushed back on him, impaling myself on him as deeply as I could stand.

He groaned something in a language I didn't understand and put his hands on my hips, steadying me. Eric reached _very_ deep in this position; I had rarely ever felt so full and I felt exhilarated (another calendar word I didn't _actually_ think of while having sex with Eric). I made a few teasing moves with my hips and his hands traveled up to my breasts. We didn't do it like this very often – Eric liked being in control and I found little reason to complain – but there is something to be said about being on top. The blue eyes staring up at me were filled with hunger and desire and I enjoyed being so exposed to him. He felt huge inside me and it took me a few moments to adjust before I felt ready to lift myself off and take him all the way in again. Heat tingled up my spine, gathered and spread deep inside me with every push and, even though moving rhythmically wasn't all that easy, the look he gave me was worth it. I forgot all about being skilful soon and before long, Eric met me on every move, thrusting up when I pushed down. I was trembling with the blazing pleasure that I felt with every slide. With a low rumbling growl, he sat up, pressed me against him and sank his teeth into my neck. I felt disconnected for a moment, entirely lost in this throbbing, devouring pleasure, and then I was wrecked with shudders, coming hard and long around him, while he penetrated me with his fangs and, um, you know, until he fell over the edge, too.

* * *

When my legs started working again and I gathered my clothes, I noticed that I had forgotten my sweater at Bill's house. I smiled all the while, feeling happy and relaxed to the point of bonelessness. Not everyone can boast of having sweet and decidedly erotic memories of a night in the graveyard. I turned and looked at my very own Viking. Apart from his dishevelled hair, Eric looked impeccable. He waited for me to finish dressing but I could see that he was enjoying the show. Vampires. Never in need of Viagra.

It felt good and natural to walk beside him. His calm and powerful presence was reassuring and I liked having him to myself for a while. I shouldn't have been surprised that life would catch up with us pretty quickly. Or at least with me.

When we walked into the driveway of the house, the front door burst open and Amelia appeared, dressed in her pajamas and, from the looks of it, drenched in tears. I let go of Eric's hand and ran up to her. She fell into my arms, sobbing.

"What happened?" I asked, trying to soothe her as best as I could. When I looked at Eric, I saw that he stood exactly where I had left him, an expression of distaste and horror on his face. It was almost comical. Eric has faced whole armies but he can't deal with crying women.

"It's Octavia. She's not back yet and she should have been by now…and when I tried to contact her – you know she and I have a mental connection because of her being my teacher and all – I couldn't reach her. It's like _something_ blocked me out and it was real close to tracking me down and hurting me. I think she's in deep trouble, Sookie!" Amelia sputtered. I led her into the house. Eric followed us at a safe distance. If Amelia's concerns hadn't honestly troubled me, I would have laughed.

"When was the last time you saw her?" I asked when we had settled into the couch. Amelia curled up in a ball of misery. I sat down next to her and handed her a handkerchief, which she took gratefully. Eric stood watching us.

"Five days ago…maybe? Not since she took that job."

"What kind of job?" Eric asked.

"Someone hired her for her _talent_. I don't know who or what for. It's not unusual that people hire us under the seal of secrecy. They don't want their neighbors to know that they believe in séances or love spells, you know?"

I nodded. "But Octavia said that she would be back today?"

"Yes," Amelia confirmed, drying her face with the hanky. "She was going to visit her niece tomorrow morning. Oh, I should have noticed that something was off before."

"How?" Eric asked calmly.

"I…I don't know," Amelia cried.

"Then you're only burdening yourself with unnecessary guilt, which isn't helpful."

I turned and glared at Eric, who continued to look as unapologetic as can be.

"I'm sorry," Amelia said, sniffing. "I gave her a lift to Monroe to meet the client but I don't think that we'd find her there."

"Yes," Eric said grimly. "I share your suspicion that her disappearance and the attacks on my area are connected."

Which…did make a lot of sense, now that I thought of it. I mentally kicked myself for not having seen it before. It must have been the real reason for Amelia's tears. Vampires weren't exactly known for their sense of humor and they sure didn't have any when it came to a threat to their power.

"Octavia would never have agreed to do anything like that willingly. She obviously didn't know what she was getting into," I said quickly, eyeing Eric carefully. Whatever Octavia had done, she didn't deserve Eric's wrath.

"That's true. She knows about the takeover and Fangtasia and she would never have--"

"Can you locate her?" Eric interrupted Amelia in his no-nonsense voice.

"Yes," Amelia said confidently. "But it'll take a few hours to get the spell working."

Eric looked out of the window. It was still in the dead of the night and hours before dawn but he wouldn't be breaking any necks tonight. He let out a such a growl of frustration that even my hair stood on end.

"It would have been too late in any case," I said. "And Amelia can do a better job if she isn't under pressure." Meaning, without Eric looming over her.

"Sookie asked me to do some research on shielding spells. I know Octavia's handiwork and if she is behind the shielding charm protecting the arsonists, I can undo it," Amelia said eagerly. "And I can also single out and mark your enemies like the local coven did during the Witch War." I looked at her, surprised at her prowess. Amelia had always been a powerful witch, but she was still in training and it was easy to forget about her magic, since she was so easy-going and _normal_ all the time. She was such a strong broadcaster that I knew immediately what her sudden eagerness to help Eric was all about. If Eric owed her, she could bargain for Octavia's life. Clever.

Eric gave her a long, scrutinizing look. "I'd be obliged to you." I knew then that he understood Amelia's motives, too. "And I expect you both at Fangtasia at sunset."

"I have to work," I reminded him. The three days off Sam had given me were over.

Eric gave me a look that clearly questioned my sanity. "Ask Sam for another night off."

"All right but he won't be happy. Not at all," I said. And I could understand Sam. He had to plan shifts beforehand and it had been hard enough for him to get my three shifts covered at such short notice. Life in Bon Temps didn't revolve around Eric. I threw a look at my watch and saw that Merlotte's would be open for another hour. "Listen, if we're finished here, I could drive by Merlotte's right now and talk to Sam in person."

Amelia was quite happy with the idea – she thought that she could use the time for a cleansing ritual and then get some sleep. Eric nodded almost absent-mindedly, held up a hand and pulled out his mobile. It is still strange to see supernatural creatures using technology like that. Eric was far from being a geek like Bill but he was all in favor of using whatever advanced his purposes.

He speed-dialed a number and, after a few short moments, he said, "Yes, this is me. The database search was successful. Proceed as planned and call everyone together." Eric ended the call and dialed another number. "I am here," he said in a less authoritarian voice. "Yes, everything's in motion. I won't insist on your presence if you're not fully recovered." He paused. "I see. No, that is not up to discussion and I'll take care of it tonight. Watch your back, Pam." And he hung up again.

It was good that we finally had a lead. I could tell that Eric was done waiting and tomorrow heads would roll. I felt his optimism but also his frustration and anger, a swirl of emotions so strong they made me shiver. I didn't even want to think of the possibility that Eric could get injured, too, not to mention my own bad, bad track record. I hardly ever made it out of these supernatural fights without more or less serious damage.

I was so lost in thoughts that I was startled when Eric reached for my hand and pulled me to my feet.

"I'm coming with you to Merlotte's before I fly back to Shreveport," Eric said. Oh, goodie. When I started to protest, he silenced me with a kiss.

Amelia cleared her throat. "If you two lovebirds are finished, I'd like to get started before I fall asleep." She sounded more like her usual self, likely because now we had a plan and if we all did our best, we had a good chance of coming out of this alive. We both hoped. Amelia was also hoping to see Pam and I felt real bad for not having told her about Pam's injury.

I put on another sweater, grabbed my purse and off we went. Eric folded himself into the front seat and my car looked suddenly much, much smaller. For a while, we drove in silence. I was reminded of a day dream I had once had, in which Eric and I had enjoyed a ride on a sunny day. I felt a surge of affection for him and could _feel_ the surprised and pleased look Eric gave me.

I cleared my throat. "Um, Eric. You're not exactly Mr. Diplomacy tonight, why are you coming?"

He laughed. "You'd rather face Sam on your own, even though it is I who requires your services? I don't think so."

"I just hope you know that pissing him off won't do much good," I muttered and threw a quick glance at him. Eric smiled at me, the whites of his eyes and his teeth luminous in the dark.

"I am grateful for your help, my lover," he said in a voice that sent pleasant shivers down my spine. "But you know that Sam wouldn't be so difficult if it wasn't me who was asking a favor."

I sighed. Of course I knew. Sam didn't know that Eric and I were closer to being a real couple than ever before and I didn't exactly look forward to telling him. I don't always agree with Sam but I do value his opinion and I like to be in his good books. Besides, I knew that Sam was worried for a reason. I had never been in hospital before I dated vampire Bill, who introduced me to the supernatural world and all its dangers. Of course, the vampires had saved my life numerous times, too, but I doubt that I would have needed saving if I hadn't been involved in their affairs.

We were at Merlotte's sooner than I expected. I blamed sharing Eric's love for speeding through the blood bond. (Yes, the blood bond comes in handy when it comes to dodging responsibility, I am aware of that.) I led the way through the backdoor to the office where Sam was doing his books, which usually put him in a bad mood. Great. It was as though Grumpy McGrumperton had come to town and infected every man I knew.

"Hey, Sam," I said cheerfully, only all too aware of the tall blond vampire not breathing down my neck. Sam looked up and his face darkened when he saw who was with me. I can't read shifters as well as ordinary people but I could feel the displeasure rolling off him in waves.

"Sookie. Eric." He nodded in greeting, took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. Then the blood drained right out of his face. Ooops. Since there hadn't been time for a shower, I was pretty damn sure he smelt that Eric and I had done the naughty and I was also sure that he didn't care for it one bit.

"How's it going?" I asked, still maddeningly cheerful.

"It's been a busy night." Wow, Sam knew how to play the guilt card.

"Will you be able to manage without Sookie for one more day?" Eric asked, getting straight to the point as usual.

"Sookie." Sam sighed, ignoring Eric. "I agreed to three nights. It's football season, I need you here. Besides, you can't live your life for the undead. And as far as I know, you don't want to."

"Sam, it's important."

"Isn't it always?" Sam retorted.

"Yes. I wouldn't ask her if it wasn't," Eric said in a voice that made a glacier sound warm and fuzzy.

"Right," Sam muttered darkly and then put his pen down forcefully. "And is Sookie's life less important? You meddle in her affairs an awful lot. And in mine, too, since she's working for me."

This was when Eric snapped. "Is this about compensation or about marking your territory, dog?"

Sam pushed his chair back and stood, his face dark with anger, the tendons on his neck standing out.

"Listen, guys," I said quickly and as calmly as possible. "It's been a tough few days for everyone. Why don't we handle this like adults?" I looked from Eric, who was scarily white and royally pissed off, to Sam, who was close to jumping over his desk.

"Oh, you sure had a tough night, Sookie. I can _smell_ it!" Sam snarled, beyond reason. I stared at him for a long moment, disbelieving that he would stoop so low, and too shocked for words. He didn't…he _hadn't_! When he realized what he had just said in anger, he paled visibly and his whole body deflated but it was too late. Now I was _real_ angry. I heard Eric snarl behind me and raised my hand to stop him. This was between Sam and me.

"I can't even count how many times I worked my butt off for you, how many times I was here doing overtime or took over shifts when Arlene's kids were sick or one of the other girls took off without saying a word. Not to mention the time I went to Eric and begged him, _on your behalf_, to send a bouncer along, who then happened to be out to kill me! You owe me, buddy!" I shouted at Sam. What I said wasn't entirely fair, since Sam had gotten shot _because_ Charles Twining had been out to kill me, but that was beside the point. I was so angry that the blood rushed in my ears and thumped in my temples.

"Sookie," Sam pleaded.

"Don't _Sookie_ me," I cut him off. "I'm going to help Eric tomorrow night because it's real important and you should know me better than to think I'm off on a holiday. And I don't care if you fire me or don't fire me for this but I _do_ expect an apology the next time we meet."

"Please, Sookie," Sam tried again, making his way from behind the desk to me. I heard the door to the bar being opened. Our shouting must have attracted attention. I heard Arlene calling Sam's name.

"No, Sam. I'm too mad to talk to you right now," I said and headed for the door. Eric was past me quick as lightning, looming over Sam like a very angry grizzly. Or like I imagined one to look.

"I am not," he growled. "You may not like that Sookie is mine and you can disapprove of our relationship all you want. I don't _care_." _Because you're not important enough_, was the message that went along unspoken. "But you will treat my lover with the respect she deserves or roadkill will look better than you when I'm finished."

"Get out of my bar, Northman," Sam snarled but he sounded defeated.

I nodded to Arlene, who looked scared and hesitant, once Eric came into view. "Everything's all right," I said. But I was still too upset for small talk and walked out the door.

Outside, I could breathe freely, feeling the anger seeping out of me. Eric pulled me in his arms and looked down at me. His face didn't give anything away.

"I'm not used to this," he said.

"What?" I asked wearily. I felt drained and tired in every sense of the word.

"This. You. I worry about you when I should be concerned with my area."

"Tough," I replied, not as angry as I wanted to be. "I never told Sam about us and now he finds out about it _like this_. I'm tired, Eric. I can't…" I blinked my tears away. He gave me another scrutinizing look but kept silent. I don't know why vampires always seem to think that they'd be able to extract my thoughts and feelings by staring at me long and hard but there it is.

Finally, Eric stepped back, releasing me from his embrace. For a second, I hated myself for feeling bereft.

"You should get some sleep," he said, more distant.

"Good night," I said. For a moment, he floated a foot above the ground, looking inhumanly handsome. And then he was gone and I stood alone in the parking lot, feeling sorry for myself.

_…tbc_

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Now that you've read it, please take a moment and let me know what you think in a **review. **I'll try to be quicker with the next chapter__.  
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